And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Mark 1:40-42

There was no cure for leprosy. Lepers were considered unclean, and they lived away from others. When they walked down the street, they cried out “unclean.” People moved to the other side of the road.

Isolation. Loneliness.

Desperation gripped this leper. He had no other hope than this man they called Jesus. This leper did the unthinkable; he came close to this righteous Teacher, this Healer and begged Him for healing.

If You are willing …

He wasn’t sure that Jesus was willing to heal him, although he had healed others. Leprosy was a symbol of sin, and this Jesus was considered holy.

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. I wasn’t sure that Jesus wanted to heal me of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I thought that it was my place in life to reflect grace through my sickness and pain. After all, Jesus did not heal the entire world. Maybe I was one who was to endure until my death.

You can make me clean.

No doubt. Jesus was capable of making the leper clean.

Jesus was able to heal me.

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing;

The God of the Universe was moved with compassion for this leper. He stretched out His hand and touched the disease; Holy touched disease and sin. Purity touched the unclean.

My Creator was moved with compassion and told my husband and me two years before I was healed, that He was willing to heal me.

Unlike the leper, I had not reached my desperation point. Jesus had a divine appointment for us, and in those two years, we grew closer to Jesus and to each other. For me, I had to get to the point of desperation, so that I would boldly march up to Jesus and drop to my knees. Unlike the leper, I told Jesus that I no longer cared about healing; I just wanted more of Him.

Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

Jesus touched the leper, and sickness immediately left him, but more importantly, he was cleansed–cleansed from sin.

When I was at my lowest point, Jesus had compassion upon me and touched me. Immediately, the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue left me, and I was freed. Freed of pain and sickness. Freed to accomplish the works that God had prepared before the foundation of the world for me to do as a healthy woman. Freed to soak up more of Him.

My prayer for you:

Compassionate Father, You are willing and able to touch each life. Have compassion on Your servants and touch their lives with whatever they need to become the men and women that You are equiping them to be. Wrap Your loving wings around them and make Your presence known to them. Renew their strength and restore their love for You and others.